DUE TO THE FRAGILE NATURE THIS ITEM, WE ARE UNABLE TO SHIP THIS ITEM AND LOCAL PICKUP IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT OUR BURLEIGH HEADS QLD WAREHOUSE
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SPECIES Macroglossus minimus
ORIGIN Australasia / PNG
DOME 27cm H x 17cm W Wooden base Glass dome
DESCRIPTION Macroglossus minimus AKA Dagger-toothed Long-nosed Fruit Bat. This orange headed bat has a wingspan of 20-21cms and can be found in Northern Australia. It is found in both primary and secondary tropical moist forest, it has also been reported from paperbark woodlands, mangroves, swamp forest, plantations, rural gardens and urban areas. It usually roosts as single animals, or in small groups, under large leaves (such as palm fronds), under branches and loose bark, in bamboo or in abandoned buildings. The females give birth to a single young three times per year. Wild populations are numerous and this bat is a common widespread species. Non threatened species. Legally imported into Australia with appropriate permits non CITES species.
Acherontia atropos AKA Deaths Head Hawk moth. Found throughout tropical Africa and Europe this large hawkmoth ( ranging from 85-125mm ) Acherontia atropos has a fearsome reputation as it was traditionally seen an omen of death.
It is identified by its yellow striped abdomen and skull like marking on its thorax. ( Skull like markings vary from moth to moth )Known as the prophecy of doom in Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native and tormentor of the unstable King George lll this moth developed a sinister reputation.
More recently this moth was made famous by the chilling psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs in which the serial killer leaves a pupa of this moth as a “ calling card “in the throats of his victims.
This moth is a robber. Unlike most moths this large species is able to trick bee colonies into allowing it to enter hives in order to take honey directly from them without being stung. It has a hard outer cuticle and is said to mimic the queen bee in size and appearance and odor thus allowing it to move about inside the honeycombs. It is able to emit a loud shriek when disturbed but is generally harmless.
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